Original Mutterkreuz Bronze Medal with 1939 Award Document

Description

Original Mutterkreuz document with bronze medal, awarded to Frau Johanna Gebert, née Ehehalt, from Breslau, and dated Berlin, 1 October 1939. This historical collector’s set includes the official award document for the third class of the Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter together with the corresponding bronze class medal, commonly known among collectors as the German Mother’s Cross or Mutterkreuz Bronze.

This Mutterkreuz document is particularly interesting because it preserves the recipient’s name, place and date of award. The certificate identifies Johanna Gebert as the recipient of the third class of the German Mother’s Cross and includes the formal printed wording used for this civil decoration. It also shows the official presentation style of the period, with printed authority text, facsimile signature and an embossed official seal. For collectors, the presence of the original award document gives the medal a stronger identity and makes the set more complete than a loose medal without provenance.

The accompanying Mutterkreuz bronze medal features the well-known blue and white enamel cross design, with a central circular emblem and gold-toned sunburst backing. The reverse carries the traditional inscription associated with this award and the date 16 December 1938. The bronze class represented the third grade of the Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter. This grade is widely collected, but examples with their original named award document are more desirable because they preserve both the object and its administrative context.

The Mutterkreuz was a German civil award created before the outbreak of the Second World War and issued during the IIWW / WWII period. It was not a combat decoration, but it formed part of the civil award system of the time. For historical collectors, this makes the Mutterkreuz document and medal set relevant not only as a decoration, but also as a piece of social, administrative and home front history. It reflects the way civil recognition, family policy and official award culture were documented during the late 1930s and wartime years.

From a collector’s point of view, the strength of this set lies in the relationship between the medal and the document. A loose Mutterkreuz medal can be attractive, but a medal with its original award certificate offers more research value. The document allows the piece to be connected to a named woman, a specific date and a specific location. This gives the item a more personal and historically grounded character.

This set may be of interest to collectors of Mutterkreuz awards, German Mother’s Cross medals, WWII German medals, IIWW civil awards, original German documents, Third Reich-era paperwork, women’s history, home front history and historical militaria. It is also a useful example for collectors who focus on named award documents and complete medal groups rather than isolated decorations.

The condition is consistent with age and period handling. The document shows visible paper ageing, handling marks, light staining, natural toning and general wear from preservation over time. The medal shows patina, small surface marks, light enamel wear and signs of age. These details should be considered part of the historical character of the set. The photographs form an important part of the description and should be reviewed carefully to assess the exact condition of both the medal and the document.

This Mutterkreuz document and bronze medal set is offered strictly as a historical collectible for research, preservation and collecting purposes. It is presented as an original period item of documentary and historical interest. No political, ideological or extremist affiliation is expressed or implied.